rainy evenings
by Joy1
Summary: Who else is going to bring you a bottle of rain' Harry hasn't been talking to Ginny all summer after having been closer his fifth year. But why? Can he fix things before its too late? HG


**Author:** Joy

A/N: Hey guys. For those of you that read my series I can only apologize for the amount of time it will take me to complete the sequel. Its taking on a life of its own in a direction I didn't expect. Anyway this is a one-shot that I had written. Enjoy.

**Rainy evenings**

Gin stared at a row of bottles in her basement. Each one was sealed with wax and bore the year it was given upon it somewhere. She had developed quite a collection. All sorts of bottles from all over the world. She didn't bother counting them since she knew how many there were by heart. Gin pulled out the first bottle and smiled remembering how this silly tradition started.

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Ginny sat quietly out in the field behind the Burrow. Everyone was in a bustle because Dad was picking Harry up that day, but Ginny wanted to be left out of the situation. The last few months had been hard on her. She had been one of Harry's closest confidants and then... nothing. She wasn't even sure she would call him a friend any more.

The odd thing was that in the last week Harry had written her a few times. Short notes really...like he realized he was ignoring her too late. The last note had asked her to be there to pick him up. Ginny decided against it. Her emotions were all over the map and she wasn't up for the drama.

"Ginny!" Ron called. "Ginny, come on. Its time to get Harry!"

She shook her head and yelled back over the field, "I told you... I'm not going. I'll see him when he gets here."

"GIN! Please, he wants you to..."

"Tough!" she shouted and walked into the woods alone and out of sight.

Ginny wandered for a while. She loved these woods. They were her childhood refuge and playground... It still was she supposed. She found solitude in these woods. After having someone possessing you for several months solitude was nice at moments.

An owl hooted above alerting Ginny to the cloudy skies overhead. It would rain in an hour or so. Wash the world clean and new. The owl hooted again and she realized it was Hedwig... and she had a note.

_**"Gin,**_

I see you didn't come with the rest so

I can only assume that my fears of having

angered you are founded. I guess I will have

to wait to see you for a bit more, but I have

waited this long so an hour more won't hurt.

I hope you are willing to talk to me when I

arrive, though I suppose you have reason not

to. I will be there shortly.

Harry"

Once the note was finished being read and her feathers were stroked, Hedwig was off to the Burrow. Some friend she was. Didn't even keep Ginny company.

Ginny rolled her eyes. The nerve of that boy. This summer was going to suck for the primary reason that if Harry was going to be 'apology boy' rather than his normal 'oblivious boy' she was going to have no choice but to face her hurt feelings. He wasn't supposed to realize he screwed up until a few weeks from now when she could work up a right good froth over the situation and verbally berate him in clear conscience. Now he was being guilty conscienced and she didn't have time to get really angry with him. So no big fight to vent the last few years of treatment or behavior or whatever. God she hated that.

Ginny was fuming about not having time to get mad enough for a proper fight that she would risk the grounding she would get for not being there when 'the boy who lived' arrived... or perhaps not being back for dinner even.

Picking up smooth stones along the way Ginny found herself in front of her favorite pond. It struck her that she had traveled a fair clip on this walk about. Well she certainly wouldn't be there for 'the great' Harry Potter's arrival, even if she left right then. Mum could have a fit if she liked.

A few minutes later Hedwig hooted overhead again alerting Ginny to her presence. "What do you want Hedwig? I've got nothing to write with or on and I am not about to answer Harry's note when I will see him soon," she called to the bird.

"She was just trying to tell you she gave away your position to the enemy," a very recognizable male voice said from behind her.

"Since when did Voldemort or a Malfoy arrive at the Burrow?" she countered.

Harry stepped forward, "Was that your subtle way of saying I'm not the enemy?"

Ginny looked at him queerly, "Why on earth would you be the enemy?"

He didn't say anything for a moment and just stared into her face. He was weighing his words carefully. "I suppose because I've been a git."

She chuckled, "That you have." Turning back to the pond she chucked another rock skipping it a great distance. "But that doesn't make you my enemy Harry... It just makes you a good acquaintance or unreliable friend...followed of course by general savior from evil in the world, but not my enemy." Ginny kept her back to Harry while chucking rocks.

"I guess I deserve that."

Ginny shook her head, "Go be with Ron. I'll be fine. Solitude is good."

"I don't want to leave. I want to fix things," he pled.

She turned on him quickly, "Fix things? What is there to fix, Harry? You weren't my friend before this year. I helped you through some rough times...you don't need me anymore. Just go back to the bubble of Ron and Hermione. I don't want you in mine."

"Why are you being this way?!" Harry growled. "I'm trying to apologize and you just keep shutting me down. Why won't you let me in, Ginny?"

"You are kidding, right?"

"No."

"No..." Ginny shook her head in astonishment. "Harry, you have completely dropped me... flaked on me. After all the raging and talks...after all the help and care you just shut me out...shut me down...left me behind. Why in the bloody hell should I want to open myself up to that kind of hurt again? I mean really. I am not a masochist, ya know!"

Harry swallowed and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry. I am truly sorry."

"Its fine. Now go be with Ron," Ginny instructed.

"Why? Why can't I stay with you?"

"You don't get it, do you?" she huffed blowing hair out of her eyes. "All you want is to hear that everything is okay... that we are okay... that the way you have been treating me is okay. Once I give you that off you go to play with Ron in clear conscience. Well I don't feel like giving that to you. I would much prefer sending you off to amuse yourself with my brother with the knowledge that you did do something wrong... and no, I am not in the mood to put up with more of it. I want to be away from you. I will end up spending a lot of time in these woods to do it, _but I want away from your issues_."

"Great...that's just great. The one person who understands and who _I thought would actually always be there_ is telling me I am _too_ _damaged_ to handle. Well I tried Ginny. I tried to apologize and show you that I wanted to spend time with you this summer not just Ron, but no... **_it doesn't matter_**!" Harry fumed and started to walk away.

"When did you once say that you wanted to see me this summer...and not just Ron?" Ginny asked his back.

"I just did."

"Well you didn't mention it before."

"Would it have mattered?" he asked.

"It might have."

Harry turned to look at her. Her face was emotionless. "So this is it, huh? We aren't friends anymore?"

"I don't think so Harry," Ginny whispered not meaning a word she just uttered.

Pain showed in his eyes for a moment and for a moment Ginny was happy that he felt some pain after all the heartache she had born because of him. Ginny closed her eyes briefly chastising herself for such a cruel thought.

Meanwhile Harry strode toward her deliberately and loomed in her face obviously angry at the way things were...at the way Ginny wanted things. "Well if you aren't my friend anymore then I have nothing to lose by doing this," he said before kissing her hard but then making it gentle. She didn't respond. Harry pulled away, staring a moment at her waiting for some reaction, but nothing came. His shoulders slumped. "I guess I really had nothing to lose."

"Why did you do that?" Ginny asked searching his eyes giving nothing away in her expression.

He shook his head, "Because that is the reason I hadn't written. I didn't know how to make it all go together."

Ginny's face went from impassive to livid. She shoved him away with all her might. "Well that's a fine way to tell me you have feelings for me you great prat!" she fussed.

Harry groaned loudly and threw up his hands. "You are unbelievable... I just kiss you, tell you I have feelings for you and I get yelled at. That is just wonderful! If I wanted to have my heart ripped out I could have stayed at the Dursley's and listen to them bad mouth my parents," he fumed taking a rock and chucking it in the pond before sitting down hard on a fallen tree trunk near by.

Ginny hesitantly sat down next to Harry but kept her eyes on the water.

With a great sigh Harry spoke again leaning into her a little, "I've never done that before Gin...depended on someone. Sure I would tell Hermione and Ron stuff but I never really depended on them. I was always the leader and savior as you put it. I depended on Sirius and he's dead. I depended on Lupin but he's no longer at the school and I can't really talk to him anymore. I depended on Dumbledore and he neglected to mention a prophecy about my life to me. I didn't know how to depend on you. Not really. I needed you this year and I have always been taught not to need anybody...I've never needed a girl before."

He paused, "I have this huge gaping whole in my chest since Sirius died and I just can't get over it. And every day since his death I knew you could lighten that feeling if I would talk to you. I wanted to talk to you...so much that it scared me. It still scares me... I didn't know how to make it all work in my head Gin."

Harry threw another rock in the pond, less volatile this time. "I know you don't like me anymore Ginny. I know you said you don't have feelings for me. But I figure if you're gonna cut me off I might as well have given it a shot...that maybe something would still be there."

Ginny slowly curled one of her hands around Harry's. "Do you understand why I'm hurt?" she said softly.

"Because I'm a git," he stated in frustration.

"No...because I care about you. That is the part in your analysis of the situation you're missing. If I didn't care, you ignoring me wouldn't have hurt so much. I wouldn't feel abandoned and betrayed. I wouldn't have expected different from you. But I did expect different from you. I didn't know what things would look like but I couldn't imagine you not answering my owls or ignoring me entirely," she soothed.

"So where does that leave us?" Harry asked.

"Sitting on a log in the middle of the forest with none of my pesky brothers around," Ginny replied.

"And what does that mean?" he questioned.

She sighed and turned to look at him and found he was already staring at her. She gave him a small smile and leaned in to give him a small peck on the cheek...maybe lips if he wanted. Harry apparently wanted.

Ginny felt his hand curl around the nape of her neck and pull her to him purposefully. He was intense in his affection nibbling at her lips. This time she did participate even though it was only reactions instead of initiating, but Harry would take it. At least she wasn't yelling at him...or crying.

Harry turned his body to face Ginny more to bring them closer together...Ginny did likewise. She was not inactive in her affection as one of her hands combed through his perpetually riotous hair and the other gripping his back. At some point nibbling became not enough for 'the boy who lived'. Harry didn't force his way into Ginny's mouth but he certainly let her know that's where he wanted to be by repeatedly running his tongue over the seam of her lips.

"Want something Mr. Potter?" she murmured against his lips.

"Oh yeah," he panted.

Ginny raised an eyebrow, "I meant kissing wise."

He smirked, "That too."

Harry leaned his head forward and pressed his forehead to Ginny's. "You gonna let me see you this summer or was this a one time consolation prize?"

She closed her eyes, "We'll see each other this summer. We'll work it out." Ginny gave him a chaste kiss that slowly began to deepen until she felt her toes curl.

"Wow," Harry muttered, panting slightly. "That is... That was... Wow."

Ginny blushed slightly at Harry's stammering. "Thanks I think."

"Oh yeah... that was a compliment. I mean...you're really good at that. And being the fact I am the jealous type I don't want to know how you got that good."

"Natural talent," she smirked.

"So can I assume that 'natural talent' will be mine to experience alone?" Harry asked quickly looking to the side at the ground obviously scared of the answer.

Ginny touched his cheek gently bringing his attention back to her. As their eyes met Ginny could see the depth of Harry's insecurity. "Yeah...I'm all yours Potter."

"Oh thank god," he said under his breath and kissed her briefly.

Leaning away she whispered, "Now you just have to think how to tell my brothers," with a smirk fitting the twins.

The audacity of the statement made Harry challenge her, wrapping his arms around her middle. "They already know...at least the three youngest do."

Ginny's eyebrows became part of her hairline. "And how did that happen?"

"Ron laid into me earlier this summer for how I was treating you. I told him why. He understood. He said he would rather me date you than anybody else. The twins just found out due to my adamant insistence that I be allowed to come get you. I was informed and I quote 'You hurt our baby sister, we won't kill you. We'll make you wish you were dead,' end quote. Your dad apparently was somewhat apprised of the situation of the way up so I got the 'what are you intentions for my daughter' speech on the way back. I pointed out you didn't come to get me when I asked you to. Nobody seemed phased by that at all. They seemed to think we would work it out...It's the only thing that gave me hope."

"Yeah well...me not being there to pick you up doesn't mean I didn't want to come get you Harry," she replied. "I just couldn't pretend like everything was fine."

Harry stood and offered a hand to Ginny to get up. "Come on Gin-gin. I need to get you back before your brothers think I'm trying to impregnate you."

She chuckled and shook her head, "The twins right?"

"Oh yeah...I have been warned with vivid details."

"Nice to feel loved," Ginny murmured while rising with Harry's help.

When she tried to drop his hand Harry gripped a bit harder. "Nu-huh. Mine!"

"What are you, three?" she asked.

"Will it get me in good with the pretty red-head?" Harry asked playfully.

"Not really."

"Damn...oh well...I'm still not letting go."

Hedwig hooted above. "Go on girl. Go back to the Burrow. Let them know we're on our way," Harry instructed and off the bird flew.

"We had an audience for our first kiss," Ginny mused.

"First kiss under cloudy skies," he said looking up. "It's gonna rain."

She smiled, "It's okay. The rain makes everything new."

"Even us?"

"Even us," Ginny said and walked with Harry back.

Upon arrival at the Burrow, the young couple was still hand in hand soaked from the downpour but there was something new about them. No anger or hurt...just deep understanding and contentment.

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"Gin...Where are you?" Ron called from upstairs.

"Down in the basement," she answered.

He brother appeared perturbed behind her. "Now get yourself upstairs. Harry will have my head if he found out you waddled down these stairs alone."

"Ron, women have been having babies since the beginning of time. Stairs are a necessary evil okay?"

He muttered to himself while placing a hand on the small of Gin's back to guide her upstairs. "Harry has to get sent away on an important mission a month before his wife is set to give birth to twins no less and I being the loving brother and best friend that I am agree to guard said wife with my life and she tries to kill herself on these old creaky stairs. I swear I don't know why I put up with it."

"It's my anniversary Ron...and he's not here. And he can't sent me anything because of Auror duties, so I just wanted to see my collection to remind me."

"I still say its insane to get emotional over a bottle of rain water," he groaned and deposited his sister on the couch.

"Well it was my first gift from Harry...a bottle of rain from the day we first kissed."

"I know...I know. I remember the fit Hermione had over having her time turner borrowed without permission. Facing the wrath of 'Mione should have been proof enough he loved you."

Gin smiled, "I certainly helped to know to what lengths he went to get it for me."

"You're missing him?"

Gin nodded with tears in her eyes, "Normally I go with him out of country. And I'm a hormonal wreck due to the pregnancy."

"He'll be home soon Gin...and I'm sure everything is fine. Besides, he left this incase he wasn't home in time." Ron handed a wrapped bottle to his sister.

Gin grinned and unwrapped the bottle with a magical photo of Harry saying I love you and note written on the back.

_**"Hello my dearest heart,**_

This year things have changed for us so this

is different too. The first bottle of rain I

gave you was from the day of our first kiss.

Every year after has been from a collection

I have made throughout the year. This year

we conceived our children on a rainy night

so Hermione was kind enough to allow me to

gather my bottle from that night.

I hope you love it as much as I think you

will. I will be with you soon.

With all my love,

Harry"

Gin smiled as tears ran down her face. "Hormones," she muttered and rubbed her child-swollen stomach, "Papa will be home soon."

Ron grinned at his sister. Thunder cracked outside and the rain came down in sheets, but it didn't matter because the most recent crack wasn't from thunder at all. Harry had just apparated into his living room.

"Happy anniversary Gin," he whispered behind his wife.

She turned to the spot the sound had originated from. Her eyes blinked rapidly at him as he approached her purposefully like he had in the forest all those years before. His hand curled behind her neck as he kissed her and she was a teenager again. When he leaned away Harry rested their foreheads together and caressed her swollen belly. "Happy anniversary Harry." Gin placed her hand on top of his... Maybe their babies would be born on a rainy night as well.

Finite.


End file.
